Sydney Hoffman: Santorini Greece

I'm not even sure where to begin!! Santorini was absolutely BEAUTIFUL. It was exactly how you would expect it to look and it did not disappoint. I will be completely honest though, if it wasn't for our amazing hotel at Chromata Santorini we may not have had as good of a time as we did.

Chromata Santorini is located in Imerovigil which is a more quiet, romantic section of Santorini. It is about a 20 minute taxi ride from Oia, which is the most popular spot in Santorini. We heard Oia is the most beautiful spot in Santorini and don't get me wrong it is absolutely stunning, especially those sunsets. However, I was so thrilled with Imerovigil mainly because Chromata hotel was located in the most perfect, beautiful spot. I believe we were at one of the highest points and it was absolutely, ridiculously gorgeous from every angle. You really felt like you were on top of the world. We had the best of both worlds with views. Insane beautiful blue water, volcano, cliffs and clusters of tiny white buildings all surrounding us.

The most photographed part of Chromata are these stairs that lead to the rooms and pool.

While we were in Santorini Shawn was celebrating his birthday. We wanted to have an unforgettable dinner, so we started doing a ton of research into what would be the perfect spot to eat at. We were very close to booking a super expensive reservation, when we realized our own hotel has dinner by the pool every evening. I'm so glad we ended up staying at Chromata because it was absolutely magical. Only two or three tables are available and we reserved a table right at the corner overlooking everything. Just as we sat down for dinner the sun was setting and it was probably one of the best nights ever. We enjoyed some red wine and seafood pasta with the most delicious dessert. We were spoiled and as you can see from the photos the view was ridiculous.

The second most photographed part in Chromata would have to be the infinity pool. There are only a handful of infinity pools in Santorini and because we were so high up, you truly looked like you are about to fall off the edge. The one thing I would warn you about however is to make sure you grab a lounge chair pretty early in the morning because the spots do fill up fast. Although it is a smaller hotel before you know it, it's 11am and all the chairs are gone. Once you have a chair though, you will not want to leave ever. Shawn and I drank numerous glasses of rosé while tanning, swimming and lounging.

One of my favourite things about Chromata which I think every hotel should have, was the free breakfast. However, it wasn't just buffet style or limited breakfast options, you could pick whatever you wanted on a huge menu for breakfast. I went all out for our first breakfast. Two orders of pancakes, two omelettes, assortment of croissants, orange juice, coffee, two orders of greek yogurt, two bowls of mixed fruit, basket of bread. It was all included and they delivered it to your door. You had the option of sitting by the pool restaurant, but with our view and patio we always ordered breakfast to our room.

We were so impressed with Chromata and having the greatest time at our hotel we almost forget about exploring the rest of Santorini. Oia is a huge tourist spot, so we knew we had to explore the town for the day. Oia again is just like the photos...absolutely stunning with blue roofs and tiny white buildings. However, it was just a little too touristy for me. Shawn and I were so spoiled in Imerovigil which was very quiet, we instantly got annoyed with the crowds and how commercial that section was. There is a huge strip along Oia that has all high end designer stores. Some people would love that, but my favourite part of shopping in areas like that is finding the independent/family run stores and buying fun nick nacks. Besides the crowds I would 100% still suggest visiting. There are quieter sections around Oia and you will never see a more beautiful sunset!!